Ravenna hires Pat Jeffers as city's assistant engineer

Three years after Ravenna's assistant city engineer left the post vacant to head the department, the job has finally been filled.

Pat Jeffers, a native of Kent, was recently named to the vacant position. It has been vacant since 2010, when Bob Finney moved up to become city engineer.

In his job, he will assist with a number of city projects, including those related to utility projects such as water and sewer lines. He also will serve as the city's storm water coordinator, dealing with flooding issues around the city as well as on city property, such as Muzzy Lake in Rootstown.

Jeffers earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering at Case Western Reserve University. He earned his master's degree at Villanova University in Pennsylvania and went to work for SSM Group as a civil engineer. The firm handled municipal engineering for towns in the Reading area. Along the way, he became experienced in land development, stormwater, erosion control and stream modeling projects.

When his wife, Erin, had their daughter, Beatrice, they decided to move back to Ohio to be closer to his family in Kent and her family in Erie, Pa. Beatrice recently turned 1.

The family lives in Brecksville but hopes to move in the future. Erin Jeffers, a family physician, works in Macedonia, and the couple hopes to find a place that is closer to both jobs.

He said he is finding Ravenna to be a nice community to work in.

"I like the small town feel of it," he said. "It's a nice community to be part of."

Finney said he is glad to have Jeffers aboard.

"His environmental background is going to be an asset," he said. "We're going to be using his experience to its fullest."